In The News

Tributes are paid to actress Sophiya Haque

Tributes are paid to actress Sophiya Haque

TRIBUTES have been paid to the actress Sophiya Haque who has passed away at the age of 41.

Ms. Haque had enjoyed success on both stage and screen and only weeks before her death had been starring in London’s West End in the production of Privates on Parade. But just before Christmas she was diagnosed with cancer.

Born in Portsmouth, Ms. Haque had first become a dancer before moving to London where she sang in a group. One of her first breaks came when she landed a job as a presenter on MTV Asia — she remained with the station for seven years.

After moving to Mumbai in the later 1990s, Ms. Haque spent several years working in the film industry there, appearing in a number of Bollywood films.  No sooner had she returned to London in 2002 than she landed a role in Bombay Dreams the Bollywood-inspired musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber. 

A leading role in the musical adaptation of The Far Pavilions was to follow. Her other credits included Wah! Wah! Girls.

Her great talents as an actress were brought to a larger audience when she appeared on the popular TV soap Coronation Street. She played barmaid Poppy Morales on the show during a period between 2008 and 2009.

Among the many tributes to be paid to Ms. Haque was one from Michael Grandage the director of Privates on Parade, in which she had been appearing when she became ill.

Mr. Grandage said: “She was a true force of nature and her glorious performance as Sylvia is one that will be remembered with great joy. Sophiya was a spirited lady. She lived life to the full and her presence in the theatre will be sorely missed.”

View previous In the News items: Actor Conrad Bain passes away, Tributes are paid to teacher saved by Oskar Schindler, Crossword setter uses puzzle to reveal he is dying, Broadcaster and historian Robert Kee passes away, Tributes are paid to former fast food executive Fred Turner, Oldest man in Britain Reg Dean passes away, Listen with Mother presenter Daphne Oxenford passes away, Former British prisoner of war passes away, Singer Patti Page passes away, Actor Harry Carey Jnr passes away, Tributes are paid to soul singer Fontella Bass, Former England cricket captain Tony Greig passes away, Gulf War general Norman Schwarzkopf passes away, Tributes are paid to the creator of Thunderbirds, Record holding woman dies aged 115, Tributes are paid to former newsreader Kenneth Kendall, Inventor of the barcode passes away, Indian musician Ravi Shankar passes away, Tributes are paid to the inspirational engineer Alex Moulton, Astronomer and broadcaster Sir Patrick Moore passes away, Tributes are paid to former Hawkwind guitarist Huw Lloyd Langton, People pay last respects to hero of the Blitz, Jazz great Dave Brubeck passes away, Former Liverpool manager and player passes away, Death rate continues to fall in Northern Ireland, Tributes are paid to the man who put colour into digital photography, Organ transplant pioneer Joseph Murray passes away, Tributes are paid to TV star Larry Hagman, Australian author Bryce Courtenay passes away, Westminster Abbey honour announced for writer C S Lewis, Influential church musician Sir Philip Ledger passes away, Tributes are paid to the painter and sculptor William Turnbull, Retailer who helped Elvis with fashion advice passes away, Tributes are paid to photographer Alf Kumalo, Widow of poet TS Eliot passes away, Former governor of the Falkland Islands Sir Rex Hunt passes away, Former Coronation Street star Bill Tarmey passes away, Headstone is erected 94 years after burial of Portadown soldier, Tributes are paid to actor Clive Dunn, Funeral of Comber soldier Channing Day to take place, Funeral of murdered prison officer David Black takes place, Former racing driver John Fitch passes away, Tributes are paid to songwriter Bill Dees, Tributes are paid to musician Jo Dunne, Composer Hans Werner Henze passes away, Battle of Britain pilot William Walker passes away, Veteran US politician George McGovern passes away, Genius inventor Stanford Ovshinsky passes away, Former footballer Helmut Haller passes away, Tributes are paid to veteran MP Sir Stuart Bell or Scientist behind cloning breakthrough passes away

 

If you have a relative or a friend who has passed away and feel they should be mentioned in our In the News section, then please email us.